FALLS CHURCH, Va. — A convicted Guatemalan sex offender illegally residing in the U.S. was arrested by federal authorities in Falls Church last week, following a multi-agency operation involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and three federal law enforcement agencies.
Key Points
- ICE and federal agencies arrested Ander Cortez-Mendez, 21, on April 2 in Falls Church.
- Cortez-Mendez was previously convicted of consensual sex with a minor and released from local custody.
- Fairfax County had declined to honor an ICE detainer filed after his 2024 arrest.
Ander Cortez-Mendez, 21, was taken into custody April 2 by ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Washington, D.C., with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Diplomatic Security Service. He had previously been convicted in Virginia of engaging in consensual sexual intercourse with a minor.
ICE officials said Cortez-Mendez entered the country illegally near the Rio Grande Valley, Texas, and was first apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol on Feb. 4, 2018. A notice to appear before a Justice Department immigration judge was issued the following day.
Prior criminal charges and release
The Fairfax County Police Department arrested Cortez-Mendez on March 16, 2024, on sex-related charges. ICE lodged an immigration detainer against him with the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on March 18.
However, county authorities did not comply with the ICE detainer and released Cortez-Mendez back into the community. ICE criticized the decision, stating it undermined public safety.
The Fairfax County Circuit Court found Cortez-Mendez guilty on May 20, 2024, of consensual sexual intercourse with a child. Though sentenced to three months in prison, the court suspended the entire sentence, allowing him to avoid jail time.
Federal agencies react
ICE Field Office Director Russell Hott said Cortez-Mendez fit the profile of the type of individuals targeted for removal. “We refuse to allow such offenders to continue to threaten the residents of our neighborhoods,” Hott said in a statement.
Cortez-Mendez now remains in ICE custody and faces removal proceedings. ICE and its partner agencies have not disclosed further details about his current immigration hearing schedule.
